Dizengoff Garden Hotel - by Echo Hotels

For one person staying three nights, the compact single room was perfectly sufficient. It was clean, tidied daily, and stocked with toiletries, bottled water, and a fridge. The bed was very comfortable, and the hotel even provided beach towels. I’m a light sleeper and worried about noise, but it was wonderfully quiet. The price was excellent for such an amazing location, just steps from Dizengoff and Gordon. It’s a small hotel, but I’d highly recommend it.

The bed was comfortable, the receptionist was very friendly and helpful, and the hotel is in a safe area, relatively close to the beach. Public transport is right around the corner. It’s a budget friendly place with an easygoing, almost college dorm feel and barely any reception area, rather than a proper hotel. But seriously, Dizengoff Garden might win the smallest hotel room contest. Once two people are inside, there’s no room to open suitcases. Sardines have more space in a can! Luckily we only stayed one night. I’d still recommend it for a night or if you’re on a budget.

At first, the stay seemed good. The room was clean, the location was central, and it was easy to walk around Tel Aviv and get to the main attractions. Then the last day completely changed my impression. The hotel doesn’t serve breakfast itself, but gives guests vouchers for nearby partner cafes. At check-in, I got several vouchers and was told I could use them for breakfast. Nobody mentioned that they were capped at 70 shekels, with guests paying anything above that themselves. I only found out on my final morning when my cafe bill went over the limit. I was willing to cover the difference, but since I hadn’t been told about the rule, I asked the cafe manager to check with the hotel first. The manager said the hotel would sort it out with me, so I didn’t need to pay anything there. When I returned, the hotel accused me of refusing to pay and even threatened to “blacklist” me from staying again. That was shocking and completely unprofessional, especially since reception hadn’t explained the voucher terms. Neither my booking details nor the vouchers mentioned a 70-shekel cap. Instead of acknowledging the mistake, they blamed me. What started as a pleasant stay ended badly. Because of the poor communication and the way the staff treated me, I won’t return and can’t recommend this hotel.

The elevator wasn’t working, so I had to carry my luggage up and down the fire stairs. The janitor had left a lot of things in the way, making it even harder to get to my room. I have shoulder pain, and the forced effort made it significantly worse. At reception I was told the elevator had been broken for a long time and still hadn’t been repaired. Guests should be informed ahead of time about a problem like this, instead of finding out by surprise. The hotel should also arrange luggage help for anyone who needs it, and offer a discount or some other compensation for such a serious inconvenience. This was irresponsible. I want compensation.